Fears of a Tyrant
by Marie Hawkins
Summary: AU Sequel to "Birth of a Revolution", narrated mostly through the perspective of Frieza and an OC. The tyrant discovers the Saiyans' plan, and decides to manipulate a key player...  R&R!
1. Eighteen Years Ago

It had been eighteen years. Eighteen years since the pitiful Saiyan race had been destroyed. Frieza took in a deep breath as he scanned the dark expanse of the starry sky. He felt like celebrating. Perhaps he would have a nice wine with his dinner.

"Lord Frieza," Zarbon's voice interrupted his thoughts. "Vegeta and his men have returned from their mission." Frieza sighed.

"Very well, send them in," he replied. Out of the corner of his eye he saw Zarbon retreat, and Vegeta enter. His sister stood on his right and Raditz on his left. They bowed. Frieza turned to face them. "Your mission went well, I presume?" Frieza asked.

"Yes sir," Vegeta replied. "Everything was completed on schedule."

"For once," Frieza added. He ignored the Saiyan's scowl. "You may go," he said dismissing them with a wave of his hand. They stood and walked out, leaving Frieza in silence once more. He had a particular distaste for all Saiyans. He wished he could say he killed _all _of their pitiful kind. However, these three had served him particularly well, and it would be foolish for him to kill them.

In the back of his mind was a legend. A legend he had learned of shortly after annexing Planet Vegeta: the legend of the Super Saiyan. He wasn't sure he believed that rubbish, but were it true; these Saiyans might become formidable enemies. He would have to keep his eye on them. Should they grow too strong, he would have no choice.

Verspa followed her comrades down the hall. Her brother was furious. More so than usual. He was muttering angrily under his breath, loud enough for only Raditz and Verspa to hear.

"-ungrateful. We've done everything to the best of our abilities. We perform our duties better than _half_ the scum on this forsaken ship, and we get nothing!" His fists were clenched and he spoke through his teeth. Raditz and Verspa let him vent, following him in silence.

They were joined in the cold hall by Nappa and her father. When Verspa had received the news of the destruction of their home planet, she was sure her father had perished. He showed up on Frieza's ship days later, claiming he was out on a mission. At first, she was pleased with this news. No meteor could destroy her father. Yet, as the days wore on, she could sense something incredibly different about him. Her father was lagging behind on missions, keeping mostly to himself, always sneaking around as though he were being watched.

"I need to speak with the three of you," her father said quietly. Vegeta silenced his rage and the three of them followed the king. He led them to the crew quarters, and ushered them inside his own room. Verspa had never entered her father's quarters before, but she had expected them to be more luxurious than they were. He was a king, after all. The door hissed shut as he entered the room.

"There is valuable information I've been keeping from the three of you," he said simply. His remark shocked Verspa. Her father was hardly one to keep secrets. She glanced over at her brother who appeared to be equally as surprised.

"Eighteen years ago, Frieza claimed that Vegeta was destroyed by a meteor. This is not true," Vegeta said. His face was serious. "Frieza destroyed the surface of our planet himself. He doesn't know that a large number of Saiyans are still alive," he turned to Raditz. "Your family is alive, boy. All of them. They've been training themselves for eighteen years to overthrow Frieza. All of the Saiyans have. And it's time. If we strategize carefully, we can free ourselves from the tyrant's reign."

Verspa had never heard her father speak with such hope and excitement. However, she wasn't quite sure she believed him. She began to question her father's sanity. Perhaps he _was_ weaker than she thought. He couldn't honestly believe that Frieza would be stupid enough to destroy Planet Vegeta. And even if he did, no Saiyan would survive.

"What do we do?" Verspa asked, curious to unfold her father's plan.

"For now, nothing. We need Frieza to believe that we're still loyal to him," her father instructed. "When the time comes for you to act, I'll let you know." King Vegeta's eyes flicked towards the door, a signal for them to leave. Verspa, Vegeta, and Raditz all exited.

Raditz let out a gleeful laugh. When Verspa was younger, everything about this son of a third classer annoyed her. Over the years, she had learned to respect him, though it was quite grudgingly. He was very strong, as strong as a first classer at least.

"This is too good to be true," he said. "My parents are alive and soon we'll start a rebellion. This is everything I've ever wanted."

"Don't get to excited, Raditz," Verspa spoke up. She didn't want to express her doubts to her comrades, but she didn't want them to get their hopes up. "Nothing has happened yet. There's plenty of time for things to fall apart." Her words didn't taint Raditz's high spirits any. He grinned hugely as the three of them walked down the hall. They were free to do as they pleased until their next mission


	2. The Virtue of Patience

Ruling the universe was, quite frankly, a thankless job. Not that Frieza minded it, entirely. He was used to being hated. In fact, he enjoyed being hated. His father had always told him, demanding respect means instilling fear into your followers. Frieza felt he had done that quite well. He was conquering right and left, hardly meeting a resistance. Frieza paused in his thoughts. Things were getting too easy. Something was bound to happen soon that would make him very unhappy, he could feel it.

"Lord Frieza," came the proud voice of a Saiyan. Frieza turned to face his audience. It was King Vegeta. He looked tired and worn down. Frieza's good mood vanished. The tyrant scowled down at the Saiyan king.

"What is it you want from me _now_?" Frieza asked him. King Vegeta lifted his eyes from the ground, and looked him directly in the eyes. Frieza thought he could sense something behind them, some sort of smugness. As though the King knew something that Frieza didn't.

"Planet Tygat is taking longer to overthrow than we have expected. If we could-"

"You mean to tell me that you cannot deliver Tygat to me by tomorrow?" Frieza interrupted him. The Saiyan king nodded. "You really are a pitiful excuse for a soldier, Vegeta," Frieza frowned. "Really, do I need to take matters into my own hands and cut out the middle man?"

"That isn't necessary, my Lord," Vegeta said, returning his eyes to the ground. "All I'm asking is that you give my troops one more day."

"The fact that your troops are taking longer to destroy a miserable planet than it would take Dodoria to lose thirty pounds is, frankly, laughable," Frieza said, sharply. "I have little to no tolerance for failure, Vegeta. You should know this. If Tygat isn't delivered to me by tomorrow, your offspring shall be greeted with a rather… unpleasant surprise. Is that understood?"

"Yes, Lord Frieza," the king replied. Frieza could hear undertones of sarcasm in his voice, but hardly cared. He waved the Saiyan away, eager to be out of the presence of a Saiyan. Frieza could sense, in the back of his mind, that he was losing the king's respect. Something was brewing in that filthy monkey's brain that had to be silenced. He had to think of a plan. Saiyans weren't all that intelligent, so counteracting the king shouldn't be too difficult of a task. Especially since the Saiyans had a multitude of weaknesses.

Frieza grinned wickedly. He stood and walked down the hall, looking for Zarbon. He had the perfect idea; an idea that would either demand the eternal reverence of all Saiyans or take them off his hands forever.

* * *

><p>"Lord Frieza requests your presence," Zarbon said. His words were short and sharp, as always. Verspa had always known that Frieza's right hand man hated her, though she had given him no reason to. She sighed and followed Zarbon. There were certain areas of the ship that she'd never visited, even though she'd resided there for eighteen years. Zarbon was leading her into one of these unknown places. He motioned her inside a room. The door hissed shut behind her. Frieza was waiting for her.<p>

"So good of you to join me," he said, coldly. He began to pace around the room. "I have asked you here to address my concerns about your father."

"My father?" Verspa asked. She was quite puzzled. Up until now, she believed that her father was on good terms with Frieza. And why Frieza would address his concerns with _her_ was equally puzzling.

"We both know your father is a fairly intelligent man," Frieza said, lying through his teeth. King Vegeta was one of the most prideful, incompetent warriors Frieza had ever had the displeasure to work with. However, if his plan was to work, he had to paint Verspa's father in a softer light. "I'm afraid, however, that his active imagination is getting the best of him."

"How- what-?" Verspa stuttered. She hadn't realized Frieza was also able to ascertain that her father was acting out of character. Perhaps he would only confirm her fears.

"Your father has always been one to deliver. Today he tells me he needs another day to complete his mission."

"My Lord, I don't quite understand what is happening to my father," she admitted,  
>"but I do wish that you would give him more time. It's probably just a phase." Verspa wasn't quite sure she believed the words she was saying, she merely acted upon instinct.<p>

"My dear girl, your father wants more time and power than I can allot him," Frieza said.

"Of course he does, he's a Saiyan," she said. "We all dream a bit unrealistically."

"Do you dream of betraying your people, then?" Frieza asked her. He was standing next to her, his tail flicking gently back and forth.

"What do you mean by that?" She asked, looking down at him. His face widened into a wicked smile.

"Would you betray your people to gain ultimate power?" Frieza repeated.

"Of course not," she said. Frieza's meaning suddenly clicked in her head. "So you know?"

"About what?" he snapped.

"My father, I think he's delusional. He's planning on starting a rebellion. He wants to kill you, my Lord." As Verspa unfolded her father's plan, she realized how foolish it was. Even _if_ Saiyans had survived the destruction of Vegeta's surface, how could they dream of standing a chance against Frieza?

"Then, you know he's going to kill you, seeing as, after I'm gone, you and your brother are the only real opponents he will ever face?" Frieza asked, folding his arms. He had suspected King Vegeta was planning a rebellion of some sort. He only hoped that his lie would have the desired effect. Verspa was the Saiyan who had shown the most potential. She also had the greatest flaws. Once she had full faith in him, she should be easy to manipulate.

"He- he would kill me and my brother?" She asked. She felt betrayed. It all made sense now. Why else would her father have kept a secret for eighteen years, especially if it was about her own people? He must have snapped. Her true father was never this foolish, and he would _certainly_ never betray his own kin.

"Is there something you would like to add?" Frieza asked. He could see Verspa's mind turning. Her eyes were filled with hurt. It was an expression he enjoyed. Luckily, he saw it quite often. Verspa's look of despair hardened into her usual placid expression. "What did he say about this revolution?" Frieza asked, once he realized Verspa wasn't about to talk.

"He said more Saiyans had survived and were training to fight against you. We were to await more news before we planned an attack," she said. The more she thought about it, the more obvious her father's deception was. Her father had always doubted her; he'd doubted her abilities, doubted her trust in him, doubted her loyalty. Frieza, on the other hand, had always been more of a father to her. He'd let her test her limits and never doubted her. He was coming to her _now_, consulting with her, trusting her completely. He could also promise her more power than her father would ever be able to. All she had to do was help him continue to rise to power.

"I assure you my Lord, you have no reason to doubt my loyalty," she said, bowing once more. "My crew also remains loyal to you. I can point out my father's deception-"

"No," Frieza said, interrupting her sharply. "If your crew truly does believe what your father says, then I need you to keep me in the loop."

"My Lord, wouldn't it just be easier to get rid of my father?" she asked. "He isn't himself any more, and frankly, he's a burden to all of us." Frieza smiled again. Perhaps he was going to like the daughter of Vegeta more than he had foreseen.

"The time isn't right just yet. But your father will meet his end, I can promise you," said Frieza. He turned away from the Saiyan girl. He would tempt her with power later. For now, his mission was accomplished. "That is all for now."

Verspa bowed and exited, walking down the long hallway back to her quarters. She paced. Her father was slipping. It would be only right to put him out of his misery, and get the delusional old bastard out of her way. Still, she knew she had to wait. Patience was the key here, and it was only unfortunate that patience had never been a Saiyan's greatest virtue.


	3. Legend of the Super Saiyan

Tygat was eventually delivered. It took all of Frieza's will not to give the Saiyan king a good tongue lashing. If he got carried away, he may let something slip. As far as King Vegeta knew, Frieza hadn't heard anything about his rebellion. Still, this Saiyan and his ideas of rebellion were getting on his last nerve. Something needed to be done. He couldn't let his control slip for an instant. Being defeated by a group of worthless maggots would be utterly humiliating. He had to win this battle.

The idea of a rebellion had always frightened Frieza. He wasn't naturally a very paranoid person. You don't need to be when you're one of the strongest beings in the galaxy. Ever since encountering the Saiyans, however, rebellion had been in the back of his mind. The Saiyans were an extremely proud people who prided themselves on their strength. While being mediocre compared to his own, there was a famous legend he had heard that unnerved him. The legend of the Super Saiyan.

* * *

><p>"<em>We have Planet Vegeta under our control now, sir," Zarbon said. He had a smug, satisfied grin on his face as he approached. Frieza breathed a sigh of relief. It had been ten days since their arrival, and the Saiyans weren't the easiest race to negotiate with.<em>

"_It's about time. You'd never think a group of worms would give us this much trouble," Frieza replied. Zarbon shifted his eyes away from Frieza's face cautiously, as though he knew something that would contradict what his commander had just said. Frieza sensed this. "What is it, Zarbon?"_

"_Nothing," he said, quickly shaking his head. "Just some of the locals have a legend. It was quite entertaining, but it was nothing but a legend."_

"_Perhaps I should hear this legend then," Frieza said, raising an eyebrow. "What's got you worried? Tell me." Frieza made his voice sound sharp. It wasn't a request, it was a command._

"_The Saiyan legend says that every three thousand years, a Super Saiyan emerges. They say his power is so great that even _he_ can't control it," Zarbon tried to make his voice sound bored and unimpressed, but he was doing a pitiful job._

"_And the story of an all powerful monkey has you worried?" Frieza laughed. "Really, Zarbon, that shouldn't be anything to worry about." Frieza turned his attention from Zarbon. He was anything but calm on the inside. Perhaps trying to negotiate with the Saiyans was a mistake. If a Super Saiyan emerged, he could possibly be defeated. He knew he'd have to keep close watch on them if he intended to stay alive. _

* * *

><p>Naturally, it would be just his luck to end up fighting a Super Saiyan. He now had the confidence that he could easily overpower the worm, but he may have a difficult time doing so. He couldn't appear weak to any of his peoples, so fighting a Super Saiyan was out of the question. At first, Frieza had believed that the Saiyans were too stupid to attempt such a feat as becoming a Super Saiyan. As time wore on, however, he saw how foolish his assumption had been.<p>

Now that his fears of rebellion had been confirmed, he had to act quickly and he had to act wisely. He hadn't known about the Saiyans' underground tunnel system. He hadn't known that the Saiyans would see him coming. He cursed at himself for not just blowing up the whole miserable planet. He had only attacked the surface because he wanted to continue to use Vegeta as a base. How his men had operated there without noticing the refugee Saiyans was beyond him. Sometimes he forgot how stupid his men were.

He knew that Planet Vegeta required his attentions soon, but he knew he couldn't risk letting King Vegeta know. Once Vegeta was out of the way, the miserable monkeys were going to suffer. He wasn't going to kill them all at once. No, this time he was going to let himself have a little fun. Maybe make sport out of it. He'd already begun to turn _one_ Saiyan against her own kind. Maybe he'd let Verspa kill some of her own people. The fool Bardock was no doubt, still alive. Dodoria had failed to exterminate him when he had the chance. It boggled Frieza how the unintelligent worm was able to warn his people in time. It was even more baffling that they listened to him. This Bardock presented one of the greatest threats. He was ever increasing in strength, not that Bardock's power level was anywhere close to his. Still, the legend of the Super Saiyan crept back into his mind time and time again when he thought of the monkey. He had to be stopped.

He swished his wine around in his glass. Things would fall together. They always did. For a moment, he contemplated asking Cooler for help. He quickly shrugged off the idea, realizing that it would make him look weak. Besides, Cooler never really had a particularly close relationship with Frieza. Frieza had never really liked his brother, and he certainly wasn't going to share a triumph like this with _Cooler_. It wasn't like a group of monkeys was any problem for Frieza to handle on his own. They probably weren't even elites. He could squash them all under his foot.

He sighed. Time. He needed to take his time. Slow suffering is the worst suffering.

A small smile crept to his lips as he entertained these thoughts. He licked his black lips slowly, the taste of wine still heavy upon them. Watching the Saiyan race slowly die out would be quite an amusing spectacle, which was just what he needed. Life was becoming monotonous once again, and Frieza knew there was nothing quite like the thrill of slaughtering an entire race.


	4. Tactics

"Zarbon and Dodoria seem to be going down to the surface a little more than usual," Vegeta observed as he watched the hulky, pink figure of Dodoria lumber past.

"You don't think they've figured out… you know," Raditz asked, quietly. He cast his dark eyes around the circle.

"They couldn't know," Vegeta said, crossing his arms and tipping his chair back. "They're far too stupid for that. Frieza must need them down there to check on the idiots running the place."

Verspa said nothing. Frieza must be searching for the rest of the Saiyans. She didn't think he'd have much luck. Her father was clearly delusional and made up the whole thing. No Saiyan would have survived Frieza's attack; there was no way they could have seen it coming.

"Well, I hope they never figure it out," Raditz said, laying his head across his arms. "I'd really like to be able to see my parents again." Verspa rolled her eyes.

"You and your parents," she scoffed. Raditz threw her a dirty look. "What?" she asked defensively. "You're all weak because you actually _care_ about each other. Your parents got _married_ for Kai's sake."

"You don't know what it's like," Raditz said, his voice a dangerous quiet. "You don't know what it's like to be separated from your parents. You don't know what it feels like to never know if you'll get to see them again." He raised his head from its relaxed position, the muscles in his neck tensed.

"You're right I don't," Verspa said, keeping her eyes directly in line with Raditz's. "But sometimes I wish I did. It's less to worry about. It's nothing to get sentimental about."

"Both of you shut up," Vegeta said, letting his chair's front legs meet the floor. "We have more important matters at hand. I could really care less about your family life and my sister's distaste for it." Verspa removed her eyes from Raditz's face and turned to her brother. "We need to make sure that we're always one step ahead of Frieza. We have to make sure that he never finds out."

"But your father said-" Raditz began.

"I know what my father said. But I'm not going to just wait around for Frieza to figure it out. We need to keep our eyes and ears peeled," Vegeta had a look of determination in his face. Verspa pitied him; his heart belonged to the wrong side. Sooner or later, he was going to realize that his hope was based on nothing more than the intricate delusions of an old man.

* * *

><p>She struggled against her captors, but Dodoria and Zarbon were too much for her. Frieza took in the look of fear upon the child's face for several more seconds. It had been quite a while since he'd seen such an exquisite look of pure fear.<p>

"I just love houseguests," Frieza said, mockingly. He took a few steps forward. The girl whimpered, her tail flicking nervously back and forth. "What are you doing _alive_ my dear girl?" he asked. His face was inches away from hers. Her big dark eyes were looking another direction, avoiding eye contact at all costs. He grabbed her chin and forced her to look. "I _said_ what are you doing alive?" The girl whimpered again, but began to speak in a timid voice.

"I-I-I just g-got back f-from a mi-mission," she said. Her whole body was quivering in fear. It was quite a glorious sight.

"I don't think so," Frieza said, releasing the girl's face. "There are no more Saiyan space pods. Zarbon and Dodoria didn't run across any." He crossed his arms, waiting for the girl to tell him what he wanted. Instead, she simply whimpered quietly and avoided eye contact. Frieza struck the girl across the face. She let out a sharp cry of pain.

"I think you'd better tell Frieza what he wants to hear," Zarbon advised the Saiyan, still holding her arm with a merciless grip. She looked around at all three of her captors with pleading eyes.

"But that's th-the truth," she said. Her lip was bleeding and beginning to swell. Frieza sighed. He could do a lot more damage to this pest, and every fiber of his being longed to do so. He had to remind himself that killing her would do him no good. He needed information about the tunnels from her. That's where she'd come from, he knew it. If he took his time, this fool would lead him straight to the other Saiyans. She was a mere child. Breaking her spirit couldn't take too long.

"You monkeys never _were_ good liars," Frieza laughed at her. "Tell me, girl. Where on Vegeta are you hiding?" Once again, she avoided his gaze. She radiated fear. She began to bite her swollen, bleeding lip, only making it bleed more. "Suddenly we're not so talkative, are we?" he asked her. "That can easily be remedied. I have lovely lodgings prepared for you. Perhaps I'll feel kind enough to come and visit you in the morning." He turned his gaze to Zarbon and Dodoria. "Take her to the lower levels," he commanded. The lower levels of his ship were used primarily for storage and hardly any one ventured down there, so the captive Saiyan had less of a chance to be discovered.

Frieza was feeling calm once more. This girl was his key. She could only stand so much pain, and then she'd give up all her secrets. Frieza almost hoped it would take the girl a long time to snap. He was enjoying this far too much.


	5. Attempts at Persuasion

Verspa knew almost everything that happened on this ship. When she wasn't on missions with Vegeta and Raditz, she had time to observe everything and everyone. She had more time as of late, seeing as how she made it a point to avoid her companions as much as possible. She couldn't let anything slip about Frieza's plan. It killed her not to be able to tell her brother, but she was sure in due time, he would discover the truth.

There was a difference hanging about the ship, and curiosity had gotten the best of her. She would watch as, day after day, Zarbon and Dodoria made trips to the belly of Frieza's ship. She knew she wasn't allowed down there, and never really questioned why. The lower levels of the ship had never really interested her. Until now. She hadn't ever seen people go down there, and the fact that the only two people going down there were Frieza's right hand men made it a little more intriguing.

She was waiting at the top of the stairs, leaning calmly against the cool wall of the ship. She sighed. Zarbon and Dodoria were sure taking a long time. She strained to hear what, if anything, was happening down there. She thought she heard voices, but it could just be her mind playing tricks on her. Finally, she could hear the sound of feet coming up the stairs. She straightened her posture and tried to look more alert.

"What are _you_ doing down here?" Dodoria asked gruffly, giving her a scowl. He continued his ascent up the stairs, pushing past her.

"Just curious," She said calmly. She didn't want to fight with Dodoria. Provoking him to anger wouldn't get him to talk. Though she doubted she would get much from him.

"Doesn't mean you should be here," he scoffed, and began to lumber off. Verspa almost called after him, to defend her ego, but thought better of it. She had a better chance of getting _some_ information from Zarbon. He wasn't an idiot like Dodoria. She turned her attention back to the stairs and waited several more minutes before she heard the sound of footsteps again.

"Long day?" she asked, as she saw Zarbon's figure come into sight. His gold eyes flicked to her face.

"Verspa," he said, a smirk forming, "When will you learn to keep your nose where it belongs?" He reached the top of the stairs, and looked down at her, folding his arms.

"Probably never," she said, shrugging. "What's down there?" she asked, her eyes turning towards the staircase.

"Nothing for you to see," Zarbon replied, his voice dangerously quiet. "If Frieza wanted you down there, that's where you'd be." Verspa sighed, frustrated. This wasn't going anywhere. It was time for her to change tactics.

"Just one quick uninvited visit couldn't hurt, could it?" she asked, making her voice as silken sounding as she knew how. She shuddered internally, hardly believing she was willing to try this tactic. "If you just let me go down there and… _forget_ to mention it to Frieza, I'm sure we could work something out." She walked closer to Zarbon, looking up into his face. His expression was hard to read, she couldn't tell if this tactic was working. Zarbon remained rooted to his spot, his eyes still staring into hers. Verspa suddenly realized how stupid this idea was. Zarbon _hated_ her.

"You don't want to go down there," He said, his voice now a soft whisper. Verspa could feel his skin against hers. She placed her hands gently on his arms. She stood on tiptoe, so the two were eye level. She laughed quietly.

"You sound so sure," she said, her lips brushing his gently. Every inch of her wanted to retch, but if this was what worked, then it needed to be done. He returned her kiss, his hand resting lightly upon her chin. When they broke apart, he laughed. Verspa scowled. She had failed.

"Walk out of this room right now," he said, forcing her face to remain close to his. "And don't think of coming back, or I'll have to kill you. And that would be quite a shame." He released her chin, smiling devilishly. Verspa growled under her breath, and turned stiffly. She walked out of the room and up to the higher levels as fast as she could.

Idiot. IDIOT. How could she have possibly thought that would work? She'd only managed to make things worse between Zarbon and herself. Not that she cared, but if she intended to please Frieza, angering his right hand man wasn't the best move. She retreated to her quarters, and hand been there for only a few minutes when there was a knock.

"What?" she snapped.

"Lord Frieza requests your presence," came a timid voice. Once again, she cursed her stupidity. Zarbon had surely reported her behavior to Frieza. He couldn't be happy with her. She sighed, squared her shoulders, and began the long walk to Frieza's side.


	6. Truth and True Power

Verspa bowed deeply, keeping her eyes glued to the floor. She was afraid of what Frieza would say to her.

"I'm sending you to the surface," said Frieza, bluntly. Verspa's eyes snapped up to his face in surprise. "I'm quite tired of failure, and Zarbon and Dodoria have other matters to attend to. You're the only one I feel I can trust for the job."

"Which is?" she asked.

"Searching for tunnels. I want to quench this idea of rebellion once and for all."

"My Lord, if you do find the tunnels-" Verspa started.

"Then I'll kill the low level scum," Frieza interrupted. "A soldier stupid enough to think they can defeat me is no soldier at all." Verspa was stunned at this order. Frieza was asking her to flush out her own people. If they really _were_ alive that would mean her father wasn't crazy. It would mean Frieza had lied to her this whole time. She wasn't about to betray her people. "If you succeed," Frieza said, interrupting her thoughts, "There is only one way I can think of to repay you. You'd get a nice little promotion of sorts." Verspa's doubts melted away. She feasted upon Frieza's words.

"How does second in command sound to you?" he asked. Verspa's face broke out into a twisted smile. That was it. Nothing else mattered now.

"I'll find the tunnels, Lord Frieza," she said. She bowed again and exited. She walked quickly down the halls looking for Raditz and her brother. They were going to come with her. Finding the tunnels would only egg on their faith. If they wanted to believe in this foolish idea of rebellion, fine. They weren't important anymore. Besides, she still had to convince them that she was on their side.

She found them loafing around, as usual. Vegeta was leaning on the back two legs of a chair, his arms crossed defiantly. Raditz was slouching in the chair opposite.

"Come on, we've got a job to do," she said, instantly gaining the attention of her comrades.

"What now?" Vegeta asked, letting all four of his chair legs touch the floor. "More grunt work?" He stood slowly.

"No. Frieza wants us to look for the tunnels," Verspa told him. Both Raditz and Vegeta exchanged looks of surprise.

"How does Frieza know-" Raditz began.

"He's probably just paranoid," Verspa said shrugging. "But we need to get a move on if we're going to find the tunnels today."

"You're not actually thinking of handing over our people, are you?" Raditz asked her. Verspa sighed.

"Of course not," she snapped. "There probably aren't enough of us left to occupy _all_ the tunnels, so we'll just hand Frieza some of the empty ones." She walked off, hearing Raditz and Vegeta follow her. They made their way to the surface slowly, but surely.

Planet Vegeta was completely different from what she'd remembered. There were hardly any buildings left. The tall white structures that had once stood proudly were all heaps of rock on the ground. Frieza had obviously rebuilt some buildings, but they obviously weren't built to look pretty. There was no grass or trees, only a thick dust scattered across the whole surface and blowing in the wind. The only thing that remained the same was the sky. It was its usual shade of pinkish red. Verspa took in a deep breath. Home sweet home.

"Love the new décor," Vegeta scowled as he cast his eyes around his former home. "Frieza has such great taste." Raditz was silent, looking grimly around at the ruins.

"We need to find the Royal Grounds. There will be a tunnel there," Verspa said, beginning to trudge off in a random direction. Finding the Royal Grounds would be the hard part. Nothing looked the same anymore.

The three Saiyans walked in silence, keeping their eyes to the ground. There was nothing to see. Everything was the same dull brown color. Once or twice they stopped to check out a hole in the ground, but the holes went little more than four feet down into the ground. Things were looking hopeless. Verspa wondered if Frieza was mocking her. Did he send her out on an impossible mission on purpose? Perhaps Zarbon really _had_ told Frieza what had happened earlier that day. Perhaps this was his way of punishing her. She angrily kicked at a boulder, the huge rock shattering to reveal a large hole. Her heart beat faster.

"I think we just hit the jackpot, boys," she said as she knelt down by the hole. Raditz and Vegeta walked to her side, staring down at the hole.

"It's probably just as shallow as the others," Vegeta said, crossing his arms. Verspa looked up at her brother.

"There's only one way to find out," she smirked. "Raditz, test her out." Raditz sighed, and lowered himself into the hole. Verspa watched anxiously as she saw his figure disappear from sight. She heard a soft thud.

"I think we've found the tunnels," Raditz called up. Verspa could hear the excitement in his voice. She tossed another smug grin at her brother and then followed Raditz down the hole. The idiot hadn't moved from his spot, and so she landed on top of him, knocking him down. It was too dark for him to see the glare she threw in his direction, but she didn't care. She reached her hands out to her sides, and made contact with the dirt walls.

"Come on," she called out to her companions. She ran her fingers across the wall, following its twists and turns. Shortly, the darkness of the tunnel was interrupted by a soft firelight. Verspa could hear voices echoing. They had reached the caves.

Verspa, Vegeta, and Raditz all stumbled into the light. The Saiyans' chatter stopped abruptly as they looked upon the intruders. There was a tense silence in the air as the two groups observed each other. It was clear that the refugee Saiyans hadn't expected any company. There were several hushed voices speaking up as the Saiyans began to crowd forward.

"Aren't those Vegeta's kids?"

"They work for Frieza. Does he know we're down here?"

Verspa could see three figures walking through the crowd. The other Saiyans made way so these three could walk to the front. Leading the three was a tanned man with spiky black hair, green armor, dark eyes, and a thin scar trailing down his cheek. He was flanked by a woman. Her hair greatly resembled Raditz's, save for the fact that it had been tied back. She studied Vegeta, Verspa, and Raditz with a slight smile on her face. On the other side of the leader was a boy of about eighteen. He was the spitting image of the man in front, but had the skin of the woman and no scar.

Verspa didn't move. It was true. Saiyans had survived. There _was_ a rebellion. Anger welled up from a pit inside her stomach. These people were stopping her from reaching true power. They were going to stop Frieza from expanding his empire. The empire that she would help to control.

Out of the corner of her eye, she saw Raditz move forward. She saw an expression on his face that she hadn't seen in a long time. The fool was happy.

"Father?" he asked, addressing the man in green armor. The tan Saiyan's stern face broke out into a half smile that gave a look of mischievous boyishness to his face.

"Hello, Raditz," he said. "It's been awhile."


	7. One Step Ahead

Once the other Saiyans noted their leader's acceptance of the newcomers, they quickly resumed their previous activities. Verspa simply looked on as Raditz was reunited with his family once more. The whole thing made her sick to her stomach. It was shocking, really, how weak the lot of them were for being attached to each other.

"Kakarot?" Raditz said, asking the younger spiky haired Saiyan. The one called Kakarot smiled. "Wow, you've grown. Haven't seen you since you were a baby." As Raditz and Kakarot exchanged information about what had happened the past eighteen years, Raditz's father walked towards Verspa and Vegeta.

"You must be King Vegeta's twins," he said. Verspa nodded. "I've heard quite a lot about you. Your father really likes to brag."

"It's not bragging if it's true," Verspa snapped. She shouldn't have to defend herself to this low level, but for some reason she felt very on edge.

"I have no doubt it _is_ true," Bardock said. "Which is good. We're going to need all the help we can get."

"Clearly," Vegeta said, folding his arms and looking across the band of rag tag Saiyans. "But if you really _have_ been training for eighteen years, this whole revolution shouldn't be too hard."

"Speaking of such, what brings you to the tunnels?" Bardock asked. "I know you work for Frieza. Surely he doesn't know-"

"He suspected," Verspa said, interrupting him. "He just sent us down here to check. He already knew about the tunnels." Bardock grinned again.

"Then we're still one step ahead of him," he said.

"Not for long," Vegeta said, bluntly. "No matter what the three of us do to delay Frieza, he will discover all of you eventually. There's no telling what he'd do then. You have to relocate."

"And that's where we're already ahead," Bardock replied confidently. "One of our doctors, Planthor, heard of a planet not far from here. Earth is what he called it. That's where they were going to send Kakarot before Vegeta was attacked. I've tinkered with a couple of pods that I saved, and five of us will be ready to head to Earth in a matter of days. Planthor says he heard a legend about their planet's guardian and the creation of the Dragonballs."

"Dragonballs?" Verspa asked, skeptically. The whole thing sounded stupid. She'd never even heard of this planet before and she doubted any magic balls were going to save these rebels. She continued to listen, however, knowing that this information would come in handy later.

"Yes," the female next to Bardock finally spoke. "Planthor says the Dragonballs must be gathered together and they will grant you any wish."

"And what exactly do you plan on wishing for?" Vegeta asked. He was clearly intrigued by this legend. Though the information he knew was scarce, Verspa could see the wheels turning in his head. She wondered if his mind was finally getting on the right track. She wondered if, soon, they'd be on the same side again.

"Frieza's death," the female shrugged. "Or at least the power to defeat him. We're not really sure how this process works. Or if it _does_ work. Planthor only heard a legend."

"Speaking of Frieza," Bardock spoke up again, "How did you say he found out about the tunnels?"

"We didn't. I'm not really sure how he _did_ find out," Vegeta informed them. Bardock and the female exchanged anxious glances.

"Raima," the female muttered. She closed her eyes and shook her head sadly.

"What's Raima?" Verspa asked. Perhaps it had something to do with what was hidden in the bottom of Frieza's ship. Perhaps it was what Zarbon and Dodoria were being so secretive about.

"It's not what, it's who," the woman said. "Raima is one of the youngest Saiyans down here. She's seven. We let her venture to the surface occasionally, to see if she could find extra food, or so she could relay messages to your father. She must have gotten caught."

That would explain quite a lot. It would explain why Frieza didn't want her near the belly of his ship. He must be afraid that if Verspa discovered the little girl, she'd lose faith and trust in Frieza. She hardly cared anymore. She could care less who he was torturing so long as it was increasing her power. She'd found the tunnels and Frieza would be extremely pleased, this she knew. It was odd, but pleasing Frieza was her only objective anymore. Nothing else seemed to matter to her; not her reputation, not her people, not even her own flesh and blood. If they were stupid enough to get in Frieza's way, to get in _her_ way, then they would have to suffer the same consequences. The only thing that could redeem them from that fate was their undying loyalty. And, to Verspa, it didn't look like any remaining Saiyan was about to hand over their allegiance.

Verspa took this slight lull in conversation as her cue to duck out. She walked briskly away from all the other Saiyans. She was pleased when no one followed her. She continued walking until she reached the beginning of the tunnel. She fitted her scouter to her face and anxiously waited.

"Yes?" came the cold voice of her leader.

"Lord Frieza," she started, her voice quivering with excitement. "I've found the tunnels."

"Really?" came a pleasantly surprised voice. Verspa could practically hear the smile seeping through Frieza's words.

"I can send you the coordinates. But I think you'll want me to head back to the ship. I've got an interesting legend to share with you. The legend of the Dragonballs."


	8. Turning Point

Verspa doubted there was any way she could sneak off without being suspected. She'd have to make up a good excuse, visit Frieza quickly, and get back to Raditz and Vegeta. She only hoped she'd have enough time. She turned around and walked back towards her brother. He was engaged in conversation with Raditz's parents, but they had been joined by another female. She was about the age of Raditz's brother, Kakarot, and she was clearly a third classer.

"Vegeta," she called to her brother as she approached their small group, "I'm going back up to the surface. I need to make sure we weren't followed."

"Frieza wouldn't tail us," Vegeta said, overconfidently. Verspa almost laughed aloud at her twin's naïveté.

"If you were in his shoes, wouldn't you send a tail?" she asked. She gave a parting nod to her brother and strode off. Once she was out of the sight of the others, she ran as fast as her legs would carry her. She ran her fingers across the cool dirt wall, and easily found her way back to the tunnel. She pushed her energy beneath her and raised herself up out of the hole. Instead of walking the rest of the way to Frieza's ship, she flew. From above, it was even more apparent that there was nothing left of her home planet. Where once it would have stirred her heart to anger, seeing destruction only brought a chilling pleasure. It symbolized power. Power that she could have.

She walked quickly down the halls of Frieza's ship, carelessly shoving others aside. He was in his usual place, staring out the large windows in front of him. His dark lips twisted into a smile as she entered the room.

"My Lord," she said, curtly, and bowed.

"What are these Dragonballs that have got you so excited?" Frieza asked impatiently. It had been so long since he'd heard _good_ news.

"One of the doctors based on Vegeta went into hiding with the rest of the Saiyans. He's heard a legend about a planet, Earth I think is what he called it. This planet's guardian has created Dragonballs. Once these are gathered together, they grant you any wish," Verspa was speaking quickly, excited at the very idea of the Dragonballs. Frieza should be pleased. It would be foolish not to go after them.

"This planet, Earth, I've heard of it. It isn't too far from here," Frieza mused. He turned his attention away from Verspa and back to the view from his windows. If the Saiyan was telling the truth, he could have ultimate power once he gathered these Dragonballs. He could wish for immortality. There would be no end to his reign. And no foolish monkey could stand up to him then.

"Lord Frieza?" Verspa asked, interrupting his thoughts. "Do you intend to go after the Dragonballs?"

"In due time," Frieza nodded. "There are a few other matters that must be attended to first." Verspa was frustrated at Frieza's patience.

"My Lord, waiting may not be the best option," she tried to reason. "The Saiyans are planning on gathering the Dragonballs for themselves."

"Are you doubting my decision?" Frieza asked, sharply. His cold red eyes tore into her. If there was one thing Frieza hated above all others, it was being questioned. He knew exactly what he was doing.

"No, My Lord, I-"

"Then silence your babbling," Frieza said, cutting her off. "There are other matters for you to attend to before you return. I need you to prove yourself to me."

"Prove myself?" Verspa asked, a little more hesitantly. She had already done all that Frieza asked. She'd delivered him the entire Saiyan race as well as the power to make himself immortal.

"Zarbon has informed me that you were curious about what happens in the lower levels of my ship," Frieza said, standing. Verspa's face flushed in anger, but she wasn't really surprised Zarbon had mentioned it. "Come along," Frieza said, leading her down the hallways. During the journey to the lower levels Verspa wasn't entirely sure she _wanted_ to see what was happening down in the lower levels, but the deeper they went into the ship the more her curiosity grew. She didn't realize how quickly her heart was beating until they were at the flight of stairs she'd been waiting at days before. She followed Frieza down the stairs and felt a cool wind as the doors hissed open.

The rooms in the bottom of the ship were hardly accommodating. It was cold and damp feeling. There was little light. Many wires were exposed and jutting out of the corroded metal walls.

"Raima, we have a guest," Frieza said, directing his comment to one of the far corners. Verspa felt a cold shock run through her body. Raima. She was the seven year old Saiyan girl who'd gone missing. Frieza had her here. Verspa walked forward, Frieza only a few steps behind her. In the dim light, she could make out the huddled figure of a girl. She could see the little silhouette shivering. Pity pulled at Verspa's heart. It was an emotion she'd never really felt before. Someone as powerful as Frieza really didn't need to torture such a little thing. "It's rude not to greet our guests, Raima. Really, I thought you'd be a little more courteous to your own Princess." Verspa saw the girl's dark eyes look up into her face. One was badly swollen with a dark bruise enveloping her eye socket. Her hair was tangled and her face was caked with dry blood.

"Hello, Princess," Raima whispered. Verspa sensed she only complied with Frieza out of fear. She turned to look at Frieza and saw the look of pleasure upon his face.

"I have no more use for this girl," Frieza said, never taking his eyes off Raima's tortured face. "She's taking up space. Dispose of her." Verspa had never had qualms about killing children before. But this girl was a proud Saiyan. She didn't deserve to die like this.

Frieza sensed Verspa's hesitation. He had been afraid it would come to this. He had to make her _want_ power. He could sense she wanted it already, but she wasn't quite ready to do anything for it. Once she killed the useless child, however, there most likely wouldn't be any more hesitation.

"If it's too much for you to handle, I could simply hand the task over to Zarbon. He doesn't make a _completely_ incompetent second in command," Frieza sighed. He struck a nerve. Verspa's doubting face hardened into an expression of anger. She looked at Frieza defiantly, then back at the child. Raima let a soft moan escape her throat; even the young Saiyan could tell this was the end for her.

"Whatever you ask, Frieza," Verspa said, lifting her hand, "Shall be done." She sent out several ki blasts in Raima's direction. As the smoke cleared and Frieza's eyes readjusted to the dim light, he saw Verspa's lips twitch, almost smiling, as she stared at the corpse. Frieza was pleased.

"There are two issues to deal with," Frieza said, "and we can send you back to the tunnels. Wait here while I send for Dodoria. We'll return shortly." Frieza retreated back up the stairs. Verspa watched him go, lingering in the room a little longer. She felt oddly satisfied. She had proved to Frieza that _nothing_ he asked was impossible. She was second in command, the second most powerful being in the universe. All it took was one foolish child's life. She scowled at Raima's corpse. The girl had called herself a Saiyan, yet she didn't have the strength, willpower, or pride of one. As far as Verspa was concerned, this girl was not a Saiyan. If the others were just as lacking in power, crushing this rebellion would be easier than she'd originally thought.


	9. Facing Father

Verspa relished in the silence that was shortly broken by the hissing of the door. She looked up the flight of stairs, expecting to see Dodoria's hulking figure. Instead, she saw a muscular figure that she knew quite well. It was her father. He walked quickly down the stairs, and was stunned to see his daughter standing there.

"Hello, Daddy," she said. Her father looked back at her, unsure of how to react. Shortly, his eyes fell upon Raima's slumped, lifeless figure. He walked towards the girl, scooping her up in his arms.

"Have you seen this?" he asked, shocked. Verspa was puzzled as to why her father would care so much about the life of the silly girl. "How could Frieza _do_ this?" She could hear the rage building up in his voice. She looked on, curiously and silently, as her father cradled Raima's figure for several more minutes. He was radiating silent fury.

"Frieza didn't do it," she said at last. Her father looked up at her, his eyes searching her face as if encouraging her to go on. "I did."

"You… _what_?" Her father's voice was swelling with so many different emotions she wasn't sure which one was dominant.

"I killed her. Frieza had no use for her, therefore neither did I." Her father was on his feet, walking slowly towards her.

"What are you talking about? _Your_ people are beginning a revolution. Things like this shouldn't happen!" he spat. Verspa had never seen her father so angry before. She laughed.

"My people are weak," she replied calmly. "They cannot hope to defend themselves against Frieza. Look at this from a tactical point, Father. You always say to ally yourself with the strongest side as long as it is convenient. Why would I choose a group of low levels over Frieza? It's suicide."

"What's happened to you? Where's your Saiyan pride? Or does that mean just as little to you as your honor? That was an innocent girl with Saiyan blood running through her veins," her father said. His voice was beginning to descend in volume, nearing a dangerous quiet.

"If I cared that would make me a foolish weakling, just like the rest of you," she said, crossing her arms defiantly.

"You don't get it," her father said. "The rest of us have realized it by now. Our anger may have helped us defeat the Tuffles and countless other civilizations, but it's not going to work this time. We can't be divided anymore. We have to acknowledge our other emotions or we'll end up just as heartless as Frieza."

"You say that with such contempt, Father," Verspa was surprised at how calm she was. "I thought power was what we were after all along."

"You can have power by remaining loyal to your people, Verspa. You're their leader. You were never meant to be someone's second in command," her father said. The anger in his voice had become more of a soft pleading. However, his words struck Verspa like a slap to the face. How could she have been so stupid, so blind? He was absolutely right. She wasn't born to be runner up. She was born to be on top. Once she got her hands on those Dragonballs, Frieza was out. She would be the immortal, all powerful being.

"Father, your wisdom never ceases to inspire me," she said, laughing slightly. "You're absolutely divine."

"Stubborn fool," her father muttered.

"Must run in the family," she shrugged.

"Side with Frieza if you want. I won't let you destroy any more of our people," her father snarled. His muscles tensed. He put his guard up. "If you need to be put down, I'd like the pleasure of killing you myself." Verspa was a little taken aback at the challenge her father had just issued, but didn't have too much time to think. She narrowly deflected a ki blast her father launched at her. He tackled her to the ground, but she managed to kick him off. He staggered backwards into a wall. She swung at his head, clipping his jaw. She delivered a swift kick to the back of his head and he fell, stunned.

"You're getting slow, old man," she said laughing. She raised her hand, aiming at her father's head. "Shame you couldn't be convinced to join me." She let her energy spark in her hand for a moment, staring down at her father's face. Then, with all the force she could muster, she flung it down. King Vegeta put up little resistance. It was over.

Mere seconds after her father's form was lifeless, Frieza, flanked by Dodoria, had rejoined her side. He looked down at the corpse of the Saiyan king, quite pleased with Verspa. He was glad he'd decided to keep her around. He'd exploited her many flaws and made her invaluable.

She bowed as he approached.

"Well you're already a step ahead of me," he said, looking down at King Vegeta. He turned back to Verspa and saw the sadistic smile twitching at her lips. "I've devised a plan to return you to the tunnels. This plan will get you to Earth before the other Saiyans if everything works according to plan." Frieza was trying to maintain a calm composure, but for the first time in his life he was… excited. He was so close to immortality he could taste it.


	10. The Burial

Her father's body was heavy. She almost asked Dodoria to help her carry it, but her pride prevented her from doing so. They were almost to the tunnels anyway. Soon enough the telltale boulder rubble gave away the position of one of the tunnels. It was show-time. She glanced over at Dodoria who was already making his descent. She landed several feet away from him and laid her father's body down. She walked towards Dodoria.

"Remember, when I come back this is mostly supposed to be loud and flashy," Verspa said. Dodoria smirked.

"If I do end up hitting you, I assure you it will be _purely_ by accident," he said, sarcastically. She rolled her eyes and walked back towards the tunnel entrance. She crouched down and slid quickly down the dark hole. She ran down the passage, her eyes adjusting to the dim light. She reached the caverns quickly, but was out of breath. Her eyes scanned the crowd for any sign of her brother or Raditz. The minute she laid eyes on her brother, she dashed forward.

"We need to go," she panted. She tried to make her face look as shocked as possible. She wasn't sure she was very good at this whole acting thing, but she needed to be convincing _now._ Everything depended on it. "Dodoria is waiting for us at the surface. I'm not sure how long we have until he finds the tunnel entrance." Her voice must have carried because all conversation stopped. Everyone was staring at her, shocked.

"Raditz," Vegeta called, "We're leaving." Raditz walked quickly forward, and the three of them prepared to leave. The rest of the Saiyans merely stood, stunned.

"Wait," a voice called out. It was the girl close to Kakarot's age. She stepped forward, following Verspa. The three turned to face her. "I'm coming with you."

"Cerorai, you can't," Vegeta said. "Frieza knows you didn't come with us. You'll end up dead." Verspa nodded in agreement. The idea was stupid.

"My sister is on Frieza's ship. I'm not just going to leave her there," she said, stubbornly. "I'm coming with you."

"You wouldn't make it back with your sister," Verspa said, agitated. This fool was wasting precious time. "Frieza would probably do unthinkable things to you."

"I don't care," she said, "Take me back as a hostage, whatever works. I just need to make sure Raima is safe."

"Just let her come," Raditz said. He had a sympathetic look on his face. He seemed to understand what this girl was feeling. No doubt he had a similar tie to his own brother. His empathetic comment cut off Verspa's own retort.

"Fine," she called over her shoulder as she continued to lead the way out of the tunnels. Mentally, she was preparing herself for what was about to happen. She wasn't afraid of Dodoria; he probably couldn't even do real damage to her. But she had to make everything look real.

As she reached the surface, Dodoria was waiting, as planned. He had his arms crossed and was wearing a very mocking grin on his face. He waited to speak until all four Saiyans were out of the tunnel.

"Looks like you've led me to the jackpot," he said, "Frieza's going to be _very_ happy with me." He eyed all of the Saiyans, reading their enraged expressions.

"Frieza is never going to hear about this," Verspa said, playing along. She let her muscles tense into an attack position. She kept her eyes locked on Dodoria, waiting to see his next move. What he did next, she did not expect. He grabbed her by the neck, there was no time to block, and brought her face within inches of his.

"I'm just gonna end this nice and quickly," he said, smiling. And with that, Verspa felt a sharp pang in her stomach and was sent soaring several feet off in the distance. She should have known Dodoria wouldn't hesitate to _actually_ attack her. His decision, however, was effective. Raditz, Vegeta, and the Saiyan girl, Cerorai, were furious, and began to attack Dodoria. He quickly overpowered both the Saiyans, and Verspa was quickly reunited with her companions. They were all laying in the dirt, trying to breathe once more. Cerorai was caught by the throat, similar to how Dodoria had first attacked Verspa. "You know," he said, looking her full in the face, "You look a lot like this other Saiyan girl we had on our ship. I think Frieza would love to meet with you. But as for the rest of you," he said, turning on Verspa and her companions, "Let's just say I'm doing you a favor." With that, Dodoria's purple lips twisted into a smile, and grew farther apart. He launched an energy blast at them through his mouth. Verspa saw Vegeta and Raditz block the attack, but she let some of it hit her. She had to _look_ affected for this to work.

Vegeta, Verspa, and Raditz played dead for several seconds while Dodoria studied their bodies. Eventually, with the other Saiyan girl under his arm, he flew off. Vegeta and Raditz were both quickly on their feet. Verspa, however, remained on the ground. Once her comrades noticed she was unable to move, they were both at her side.

"Are you alright?" Vegeta asked, gently cradling her head. She looked up at him, smiling a little. Even that hurt.

"Never better," she whispered. "Look, Dodoria thinks you're dead. You need to get out of here." She weakly attempted to push Vegeta out from under her.

"We'll help you stand," Raditz said, grabbing one of her arms. This surprised her. She had expected some sort of worried emotion from her brother only, not Raditz too. As far as she had known, Raditz had only a grudging respect for her, and she had returned the sentiment. She hadn't actually expected him to _care_ about what happened to her.

"Idiot," she said, painfully wrenching her arm free of his grasp. "You don't have time to wait around for me. Just get out of here."

"We can't just leave you here," Vegeta started, but Verspa cut him off.

"Yes, you can. And you will. Dodoria doesn't know where the tunnels are, so you go back there. You warn everyone else. Then you can go to Earth and get the Dragonballs," she said. She hoped they would hurry and leave. She needed to get to a healing tank quickly. "Go now," she whispered.

She let her heavy eyelids close, listening for the sound of retreating footsteps. She felt a gentle hand run across the length of her cheek and tried not to move. These idiots were too busy being sentimental to do what was good for them. The faster they got back to the tunnels, the better. She could leave and, hopefully, beat them to Earth. She felt her body being carried and laid down gently several feet from where she was. She felt extra weight being added to her body. Raditz and Vegeta were burying her. She held her breath as her face was covered in dirt. It was a weird sensation, being buried. She lay still, waiting. Eventually, she could hear Vegeta and Raditz walking away, and disappearing back into the tunnels.

She barely had the strength to stand, but she managed. She let her burning lungs fill with the sweetness of oxygen and opened her eyes. By some miracle, she made it back to Frieza's ship just as she blacked out. She hadn't realized that Dodoria's attack would do that much damage to her. Still, she was glad it did, that way her brother and Raditz bought into her fake death.

When her eyes opened again, she felt the weightlessness of her limbs and the soothing rhythm of liquid in the healing tank. As much as she would love to stay in here, she knew she had a job to do. She had to beat her brother to Earth or everything would be ruined.


	11. Clarity

"Where's my sister?" the girl demanded. Frieza sighed, happily. Raima's sister would surely be more entertaining to torture. However, holding her here would be the problem. She was, no doubt, much stronger than her sister. There was only once place to put her. The cells. He hadn't used those cells in such a long time. It would be nice to know they were occupied once again.

Verspa strode in the room, looking much better than she had when she'd arrived. She bowed and walked towards him.

"You're just in time," he said, not taking his eyes of Cerorai. "Cerorai's been asking after her sister. Once we take her to her new lodgings wouldn't you like to show her how well we've taken care of Raima?"

Cerorai wasn't listening to what he'd just said; she was staring in horror at her Princess.

"You!" she yelled. "You work for _him_?" She struggled pointlessly against Dodoria. Verspa wasn't usually one for confrontations, but Cerorai's anger was actually very encouraging. It made her feel… happy somehow.

"Dodoria, let's take our new guest to her lodgings," Frieza said, turning to leave. Dodoria followed behind him, dragging the Saiyan along with him. Their progress was slow, seeing as how Cerorai was trying to fight off Dodoria, but eventually they made their way to the cells. It was a long, cold hallway that Frieza hadn't had to use in a while. Everyone obeyed him and he had no problems conquering other planets, so there really was no need to use the cells. He unlocked one of the great barred rooms, and watched Dodoria shove Cerorai inside. Frieza quickly shut the door and locked it. Cerorai threw herself against the bars, snarling.

"You're a monster," she said. "You can keep me and my sister here for as long as you want, but the rest of my people will end you." She smiled darkly. Frieza smiled back, knowing how foolish this young girl was.

Verspa carried Raima in her arms, and walked toward the cells. Frieza and Dodoria were standing in front of Ceroria's. Frieza unlocked the door long enough for Verspa to throw Raima in the cell with Cerorai. She stood back, watching. Cerorai stood back in a corner, cautiously eyeing her sister's unmoving body. She looked from Raima back to Frieza. Eventually, she moved forward, knelt down by her sister, and placed a hand on her shoulder. She brushed her Raima's hair out of her face, and gasped, realizing her sister was lifeless, realizing that her whole mission had been in vain.

"Sorry you aren't surrounded by more _lively_ company," Frieza smirked. "But soon enough you'll have other Saiyans to keep you company. But if I were you, I would hope not to be around that long."

Cerorai looked up at him with tear filled eyes. Frieza had never seen a Saiyan weep. He'd seen Raima cry, but she was merely a child. Her tears didn't count for much. But to see a proud warrior cry, that brought him a satisfaction that he hadn't previously known.

"How could you do this?" she asked, walking towards the bars of her cell. She wasn't addressing Frieza. Her comments were directed towards Verspa. "How could you betray your own people? You know what _he's_ done, and yet you still serve him. Do your people mean absolutely nothing to you?"

Frieza looked to Verspa as well, anticipating her answer as much as Cerorai. He was sure he knew what she'd say; something cold and heartless. She'd merely shrug off Cerorai's remarks. But the Saiyan Princess surprised him.

"My '_people_' died when Frieza attacked the surface of Vegeta. All the remaining Saiyans are merely shadows of the greatness the Saiyan race once had. You're all weak. You don't deserve to be called a Saiyan," Verspa whispered. Her dark eyes were glinting with malice, her voice sharp. Frieza smiled contentedly. He motioned for Dodoria and the two of them left the room. He had to prepare a pod for Verspa so she could leave as soon as possible. For once, things were going exactly the way he wanted.

Verspa stared at Cerorai for several seconds more. She walked towards Cerorai, grabbing hold of one of the cool metal bars. She felt a smile play at her lips.

"Just so we're clear, I don't work for Frieza," she whispered maliciously. "I don't work for anyone. And with those Dragonballs in my hands, you're going to wish Frieza was still in control." She smiled at the thought of absolute power. Cerorai gave her a look of disgust, only making Verspa laugh, "I wouldn't worry too much, Cerorai, Frieza will probably finish you off before my rise to power." She backed away from Cerorai and left to find Frieza. It was time to find those Dragonballs.


	12. To Earth

Frieza never accompanied anyone to the launching pad. This mission, however, was too important to miss. Verspa quickly caught up with him.

"How's our little houseguest?" Frieza asked her, referring to Cerorai.

"She still believes that my brother will save her," Verspa scoffed. She wasn't sure what connection her brother had with Cerorai, and how they had discovered it in so short an amount of time, but, frankly, the whole thing was sickening. It just proved how weak her brother was. Once, Verspa had believed it wasn't weakness to care about her brother. If she _could_ care about anyone, it would be Vegeta. The two had endured everything together. He was once all she had, he was the only one she could go to. Then she realized her path. Frieza helped her to realize that she was destined for greatness, but Vegeta had too many emotions blocking his way. That was when she had to split ways with her brother.

The two stopped at a lone pod, prepped and ready to leave. The excitement was building up in Verspa. This was what she'd been waiting for. The pod door hissed open as though beckoning her. She turned to Frieza, doing her best to mask her excitement.

"I should be back soon. You won't have to worry, My Lord," Verspa said, bowing curtly. Her heart was in her throat. She knew it would take some time to get to Earth, but that didn't matter now. What mattered was that she was going. She was going to get there before any of the other Saiyans, and then she could wish for immortality. She'd overthrow Frieza and have ultimate control of his empire.

"I don't expect failure from you," Frieza said. "Contact me once you have the Dragonballs. I'll have things under control here." Frieza could hardly wait. There wasn't a ship in existence that could get Verspa to Earth and back fast enough. Once he was immortal no one would stand up to him. Cooler wouldn't look down on him, his father would be proud, and the rest of the universes would be his to control. All this was in this Saiyan's hands. Failure wasn't an option. She had proved herself time and time again and now, because of her, Frieza was so close to reaching his full potential.

Verspa stepped into her pod. Frieza hadn't told her exactly how long this journey would take, but she expected to be sitting for a while. The pod door hissed slowly shut, but the whole time Verspa kept her eyes firmly on Frieza. If only he knew what she was planning. He wouldn't send her out on this mission, she'd be sharing a cell with Cerorai and Raima. She could only imagine the delightfully horrid things he had in store for the rest of the Saiyans. The fools deserved whatever was coming to them. For a fleeting moment, Verspa pitied her brother. She'd never told him that he was fighting for the wrong side. She'd never mentioned that, side by side, they could take over Frieza's empire. She quickly shrugged this emotion off. If Frieza could rule the universe alone, then so could she. She didn't need her weak brother. Besides, she could tell that he was becoming attached to the refugees. She could tell that he saw himself as some sort of hero. And there was absolutely no hope for Raditz. She only hoped they died valiantly. She was sure Frieza would see to that. She and he both thought so similarly anyway. It was almost like she was transforming into someone like him. Only, she was much wiser and much more powerful.

Verspa could hear her pod hum to life. She began her ascent into the sky, launching out amongst the stars. With every second, she got closer to Earth. It was only unfortunate that the Earthlings were unaware of their impending destruction. After all, if she was going to travel _that_ far, she might as well have a little fun.

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><p><strong>A\N:<strong> And end book two! This one was really hard to write (but fun!), seeing as getting into evil people's heads isn't really something I've tried before. I hope everything was logical and fun to read, though! Book three (The Earth Saga, I know lame title, I just couldn't think of anything else...) should be interesting. Chi-Chi, as well as the rest of the Earthlings, will finally show up (HOORAY), and the book will largely be told though her perspective, though there will be a couple of moments\ chapters told through Goku (only referred to as Kakarot) and Vegeta's perspectives. Thanks to all my peeps who've read, reviewed, and\or subscribed (especially to those of you who've stuck with me for BOTH books :D). You're awesome and it means A LOT :)


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